


Trepidation

by orphan_account



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Execution, F/M, Matchmaker Reader, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Original Character Death(s), Reader-Insert, Red String of Fate, Shameless Smut, Soulmates, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-15 21:43:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11814768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Aela gives you a task in Markarth, much to your annoyance, to clear the Inn of a skeever problem. There, you find someone you never thought you'd find by chance: your soulmate. The only problem is that The Silver Hand is tracking you and your friend down in the midst of everything, out for blood.





	1. Chapter 1

You watched Farkas and Aela awkwardly talk, eyes focused on their hands. A small red string that looked like it could snap at any moment was tied onto their pinkies, a sign of them being soulmates. Yes, you could see the red string. A rare ability, and one you found rather awkward sometimes. You've never told anyone aside from maybe your follower, Celena. She was an altmer who lived within Whiterun (big surprise), but she was the nicest person you've ever met.

The thing was, she was tied to your Shield-Brother, Vilkas. When you told her, she'd been shocked, but didn't seem to care much. She said something along the lines of, "If we are, and it works out, then so be it." You'd also told her about Farkas and Aela, and she constantly teased them about having an 'obvious crush' on one another.

Aela excused herself from her conversation with Farkas and headed over to you and Celena with some parchment in her hand. She placed it in your hand, "You have a job up in Markarth. There's a skeever infestation up at the Silver-Blood Inn. Not sure why they can't do it themselves, but they offered a good amount of coin."

You groaned in annoyance, "Seriously? Whatever, come with me, Celena. Skeevers are a pain in the ass, I'll need your help."

The Altmer sighed in annoyance, "Fine."

You grinned playfully at her, eyebrow raised, "Hm? Not excited? Maybe we can scout out some cute men and mer for ya."

"No- you told me yourself about the thing," she hissed lowly at you.

"Ah, he's about as smart as a rock when it comes to relationships. You can make him jealous, though, I've seen the way he looks at you," you waved your hand nonchalantly as you walked out of Jorrvaskr with Celena.

Celena only rolled her eyes "I guess."

You sneered playfully at your friend, then looked at the note Aela handed to you, "She wasn't lying about them offering a large amount of coin for our services."

"You'd think most nobles would be cheap for this stuff," the high elf beside you snorted.

You only shook your head, "Who cares? As long as we get the coin, I'm fine with it."

X-----X

You and Celena hadn't bothered to pay for a ride to Markarth, instead riding your horses while marking down areas of interest along the way. You managed to get there within the span of a few days, arriving when the sun had reached its peak in the sky. You nodded to the guards as you went inside, being greeted by a busy marketplace.

You noticed a woman speaking to a merchant, and a man with a dagger. You didn't hesitate to pull out your dagger and tackle the man away just as he was about to stab her, and people had noticed. Blindly, the man stuck his own dagger into your shoulder, but you mercilessly stabbed him through the chest, getting covered in blood in the process, hearing him sputter put, "I die for my people..."

People had screamed in shock, and many guards ran over. You got off of the now dead man, and Celena darted over to you, "That was a stupid thing to do, but you'd save a life."

You only huffed, "Yeah, hold on before I get arrested or lectured by you."

You gave a hard yank to your dagger, struggling to get it out for a few minutes, "Aw, now it's all gross..."

"By the Divines! The Forsworn are here in the city!"

"Everyone stay back. The Markarth city guard have this all under control. There are no Forsworn here," a guard called, sheathing his own blade.

"He.. he tried to kill Margret. Right in front of me." The merchant shakily spoke, eyes wide.

"By the God's that man nearly killed me.. thank you for saving my life," you turned to Margret and brushed her thanks off, "It's what the Companions do."

"Thank you. Here, I was going to bring this to my sister, but I want you to have it," Margret handed you a pretty necklace, but you took it with a red face (which was, in fact, not from the blood of the man you just killed).

You said nothing to her and went back to your friend, ignoring the looks you got from a few people. You sighed, "Now I have to wash my damn armor again. I can't believe Aela sent me and not someone else for this."

"You'd end up with a different thing anyways, since you became Harbinger, we've been getting a lot of jobs."

"It's not that I don't mind the extra coin in my pocket, it's just I've barely been able to rest since I became Harbinger, though. I know it's a lot of work but have you seen Aela? She's only sent Farkas on a few. I've been on at least, what, twenty?"

"Well.. I guess you're right."

"Let's just get to that damn inn and get this over with, I might die if I have to do this any longer."

"You're the leader, bud," Celena snickered, hitting your shoulder.

You glanced around, a bit annoyed by the stares. Maybe if you took a moment... The merchant Margret had been talking to had a red string that led to a man not far away, with what looked like their child. It was always nice to see even a stranger married to their soulmate.

Of course, you've never seen your soulmate, or set out to find him or her. It was fate, you'd find them one day. Everyone knew of the Red String, but none could see it, aside from you, apparently. You suspected it might be because of your status as Dragonborn. You weren't too happy with it, actually, so you put off meeting with the Greybeards for a long while.

You sighed and looked to your own hand, and Celena noticed. She smiled reassuringly at you, "You'll find them soon. Don't worry."

"I guess I can't help but worry, I could die at any moment because of this dangerous place, but.. I want to meet my soulmate before then, you know?"

"Well, maybe one day we can look for them. But right now, let's get our job done," Celena put a hand on her sword and pat it's hilt.

You only nodded, heading over to the inn with a neutral expression. There was no need to dwell on something, it'd distract you and you'd rather not be destroyed by a skeever horde. The moment you stepped in, you could hear the squealing of skeevers. The innkeeper greeted you, pointing to the storage room door.

You unsheathed your single steel sword, other hand glowing with a fire spell ready to set a beast alight. You both crept down the stairs, the screeching louder. The moment you both were spotted, there was a horde of skeevers on top of you. You set several on fire, watching them writhe painfully on the ground and cry out from the pain. You used your sword, swinging it down on another skeever without hesitation, chopping it in half.

Skeevers were weak and easy to kill alone, but a whole group was another thing. You heard your altmer friend slashing her sword at the skeevers, the sound of bone meeting metal abundant. You tried your best to ignore it, it wasn't something you liked to hear. Another column of fire set a skeever attached to your bare lower leg by it's teeth alight, and it dropped to the ground.

Soon enough, with both you and Celena covered in bites and cuts, you'd cleared them all out. You limped op the stairs and to the innkeeper, "They're all dealt with."

The innkeeper handed you the coin promised without word, and you both took your leave. You both didn't even hesitate to just sit on the stone floor, you with your head in your knees and Celena cleaning off her sword. You soon raised your head to look over your wounds and Celena's, readying a spell to heal the bleeding cuts and bites, as well as the large expanse of purple, red, and green bruises all along her body.

Your hands hovered a small distance away from her as a pale yellow light closed up the wounds and made the bruises fade. It didn't take much out of you, thankfully, because you were skilled in magic, mostly restoration and illusion.

You let out a breath and sat back. Celena had too many wounds, draining your magicka when you finished up. You didn't have enough to heal yourself, and Celena couldn't use restoration spells. She wasn't big on magic, more interested in using a sword and alchemy.

You ran a hand over your leg, watching the bruises blossomed along it in various colors. It would be painful, but you could deal with it. Celena sighed, "Maybe I should learn some restoration spells, you always use it up on me before you."

"I can't have my loyal friend dying on me, can I?" You hummed in a snarky fashion, eyes half-lidded.

"I'd dropkick you if you weren't hurt."

"So cold, Celena. So, so cold," you dramatically put a hand to your chest, mocking hurt.

"Don't be a baby," she laughed and stood, helping you up.

You laughed along with her, then felt a tap on your shoulder and whipped around. In front of you stood a Justiciar and two Thalmor soldiers. You took a deep breath, "I swear to Akatosh that my murder was justified-"

The Thalmor Justiciar seemed unimpressed by your panic, "Yes, that's not being held against you. Are you both part of the Companions called here?"

"Yessir." You stood up straight, trying not to seem disrespectful.

You weren't a worshipper of Talos, but you regarded Thalmor with respect because of their ranks. You'd rather not be called a heretic and murdered on the spot, you'd seen it happen with a Nord traveller who tried to talk to a Thalmor escorting a Talos worshipper.

He regarded both of you briefly, "Was the situation in the Inn taken care of? I would prefer that I don't go in there for some.. information, and get attacked by a dirty beast."

You nodded, "Yep. Innkeeper just has to clean up some, uh, blood, guts, and charred remains of em. Not our job to clean up after ourselves for a job unless specified, and it wasn't."

Celena only nodded, seeming relaxed in the presence of other altmer. You admired the way she carried herself around others, but if she mouthed off to a Thalmor, you'd think of her as crazy. You glanced down to your feet, but your eyes ended up falling upon his hand. A small, red string connected between the two of you, and if you were honest, you felt petrified.

This man, a Justiciar, was your damn soulmate. You took a deep breath to calm yourself down, and looked at the soldiers behind him. Aw, how cute, they were both connected by a red string. Your eyes lingered on the string between them for a moment, then returned to the Thalmor.

"May I ask for your name?" You questioned hesitantly.

"Ondolemar. You are in the presence of a Thalmor, bask in it."

You only nodded meekly and stepped back to Celena, asking yet another question, "You aren't from Markarth, I take it?"

"As if this craggy, wretch of a city could give birth to a superiorly bred Mer such as myself. No, I'm not from Markarth. I was sent here to lead the Thalmor's interests in this corner of Skyrim. It's my mission to root out all Talos worship in this city."

If you were honest, his arrogance was both annoying, and in it's own way, charming. Celena seemed to only think of it as annoying, looking a bit ruffled at his words. You glanced around nervously once more, "Why are you, uh, after Talos worshippers?"

Truth be told, you never actually knew why. So, it was a genuine question. You were smart enough to abide by the rule of no Talos worship, you'd never even knew who the so called 'god' was before then.

"It's a religious matter. The Thalmor do not recognize Talos as a god. He was only a man, and does not deserve to a place in our pantheon. The Empire has agreed to accept our beliefs, and its citizens have a responsibility to cease their heretical worship. You're awfully inquisitive, aren't you? I like that. Perhaps you'd care to solve a little problem I'm having?"

You flushed red at the compliment and dipped your head, "Sure, I wouldn't mind. I'm not too keen on seeing Aela and Farkas having raging sex in Jorrvaskr."

You said the last part to Celena, who snorted and put a hand over her mouth. Ondolemar regarded you both with what looked like confusion for a moment, then nodded, "Ogmund the skald. He's old, respected, and I know for a fact that he worships Talos in his home. But the Jarl has been hesitant to call for his arrest. I want you to break in to his home and find evidence."

You thought about it for a moment, then replied, "It will be done. I will report to you with all evidence I find afterwards."

Ondolemar only nodded to you and walked off with the soldiers, and Celena turned you around to face her, "What was that?"

"What was what?" You questioned, confused.

"That whole interaction. I mean, the thing about Aela and Farkas was hilarious, but you just, like, stared at their hands for a bit. It was weird," Celena looked a bit concerned, you didn't usually look for string connections on purpose.

"Celena. We're connected," you whispered, and her eyes widened in realization.

She hugged you tightly and squealed, not seeming even the least bit concerned with the people staring at you, or the scarlet blood on your armor/clothing. You pushed her off you with a red face, "Let's get changed and let me just patch myself up."

Celena only grinned and walked off, you following behind. You both found somewhere to clean up and get your wounds patched up and attended to. You let Celena wander off to do what she wanted in Markarth, and looked around for Ogmund's house.

Eventually, you found it. You glanced around to make sure no one could see you and quickly began to pick the lock. After about two broken lockpicks, you got it and crouched down, slipping inside the house. You narrowed your eyes and snuck over to the rise directly in front of you, searching around before focusing on the chest. You opened the chest as quietly as possible and narrowed your eyes, picking up an amulet.

That was proof of worshipping Talos, right? You stuffed it into your pocket and quickly made your way out. You made a direct beeline for the marketplace and Celena, finding her bartering with a merchant. You tapped her on the shoulder, "Come on. I finished up."

You pat your pocket for good measure, and Celena gave up bartering. She said a goodbye to the merchant and headed off with you, while you looked around. Where would he be? You searched around for a while, but eventually, after asking a guard of the whereabouts of a Thalmor, they directed you to Understone Keep.

It didn't take long to get there, either. When you walked in, you noticed it was dimly lit and rather humid. You glanced to Celena, then looked around for Ondolemar. You found him pacing around, and swiftly made your way over with Celena right behind you. The Justiciar turned to you expectantly, and you pulled out the amulet for him to see, "I found this amulet in Ogmund's house."

"Ah, there we have it. This will be all I need to have Ogmund taken care of. I would like to personally thank you on behalf of myself and the Thalmor for your assistance. Here, for your work," Ondolemar gave you some gold, making you raise an eyebrow.

"Thank you, sir."

"Please, call me by my name," Ondolemar smiled faintly, seeming amused.

"Well, thank you, Ondolemar."

X-----X

You and Celena had decided to stay in Markarth for a while longer, finding it to be a nice getaway from Whiterun. You'd sent a letter off to Aela about the arrangement, saying you'd be away for a while. You and Celena had rented two rooms for about a month, and seeing as you carried quite a bit of gold on you now, you'd be fine.

It was just a shame that the Silver Hand had caught wind of your whereabouts and came to Markarth the next day. You'd seen a a woman and two men with silver swords, asking around for you and Celena. The moment you'd seen them, you swore your heart had stopped for a second. Without hesitation, you dove behind the nearest thing, it just so happened to be the stall the jeweller merchant worked at.

She'd given you a strange look, but you looked pleadingly at her to be quiet about it. The three people went up to her, asking for an altmer and bosmer with the appearances of Celena and you, even your names, but the jeweller only raised an eyebrow and said she didn't know you two.

When they'd left the marketplace, you climbed out and thanked her kindly, giving her a handful of gold. She'd tried to reject it, but you were quickly gone to find Celena. She was still in the inn, so you quickly went inside to find the three people you were hiding from right there. The woman turned and murmured to the men, who also nodded. They brushed past you, one man grinning, and left.

You stood in the inn, frozen with terror. You ran to Celena's room, "Celena. The Silver Hand, they're here, they saw me, they know we're here."

Celena looked stricken with fear, "Really? Well, we'll be fine. There are guards here, and I'm sure if it seemed like they attacked us for no reason at all, some other people will jump in. We'll be fine."

"...If you say so," you were weary, you had to be ready to protect yourself at any time.

X-----X

You woke up to find a note beside your bed, and quickly grabbed it. It was hastily written, telling you that if you wanted Celena back alive, you'd have to come and get her. You wasted no time, grabbing your sword and rushing out of the inn, nearly knocking a drunk man off his feet.

It was dark out, aside from guards holding up torches that barely did a thing to light up the area. It had given a location, somewhere in an alley between two houses that you wasted no time in getting to. There, you saw the three people you'd seen earlier today.

You looked around, but to your panic, saw no Celena. You looked at the three, the men with their swords out and the woman with a bow out, "Where is she?"

"Maybe you should have checked her room, fool. But, seeing you were dumb enough to not, we'll take you out now."

You didn't hesitate to pull out your sword as the two men charged at you. You knew immediately you wouldn't be able to take the two of them head on with a single sword and fire spells. You lunged towards one, sword clashing with his own. You narrowed your eyes as he shoved you back with brute force, making you stumble.

You quickly recovered, just in time to block a swing from the other man. You couldn't do this, you'd get tired too quickly. You darted away from the three to give you space, and without hesitance, began to transform. You curled in on yourself, the sounds of your bones breaking and flesh tearing echoing in the alley. It repaired itself within seconds, the beast within ready to defend itself.

With a loud howl that was sure to wake up everybody in Markarth, you lunged for the two men. They could barely react in time as you ripped through their flesh with sharp canines and claws. You tore a single cut along his waist, throwing him to the ground and then smashing his skull in with your foot. Blood and brain matter spattered along the ground, and you turned on the other man in time to get out of the way of his sword.

You lowered onto all fours, snarling in pure rage at these people. You heard a tiny voice and whipped around, seeing a young girl staring at you in pure horror and disbelief. She screamed, much to your annoyance, but then you felt a pain in your back. You let out a huff of pure pain, the woman had shot you with an arrow. You turned and lunged at the man with the sword who was coming up in you, knocking his head against the wall until he was just a bloody mess.

The woman noticed the girl, and not wanting to be compromised, aimed and fired an arrow at her. You managed to get in control of your beast for only a moment and pulled the girl into an embrace. You wouldn't be able to catch the arrow or get the girl out of the way in time, so you did the only thing you could, you took it for her.

This arrow hit your back with a thunk and you trembled, pain washing over you. You let go of the girl, who stared at you in amazement, and turned to the woman. You were like a flash, and in a moment, the woman was lying dead on the ground with what was once her bow wrapped around her neck tightly. You'd strangled her without a thought, blood seeping over the strings of her bow. You felt very tired, now, and you heard quick footsteps.

You slowly transformed to your normal self and coughed, blood covering the ground in front of you. You looked to the girl, "Please.. don't tell anyone."

You picked up your sword, glad to see some of the blood from the men you'd killed covering it. Then, everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

You hadn't expected to wake up again, but you did. With two arrows still stuck inside of you. Your eyes widened as you felt one get yanked out and you screamed, startling the people around you. You saw Celena come within your line of sight, but the pain seared you like fire. They didn't hesitate to yank the other arrow out. You felt the familiar buzz of magic along your back, you felt the flesh mending itself and the pain slowly fading.

Celena's mouth moved, but everything was so hazy you couldn't hear her. You felt yourself be moved, and you saw a few familiar faces above you. You couldn't put a finger on who it was, but you saw the red string on his pinkie and smiled gently. You reached out and touched his hand, interlacing his fingers with yours. Then, you fell back into darkness.

X-----X

When you woke up again, you were on the bed in the room you rented. You heard faint talking outside of your room and sat up. Much to your surprise, you didn't hurt all that much. You frowned and narrowed your eyes at your legs. You weren't dressed like this before.. the last thing you were in was some steel armor. Now you were in a classic green dress, not that it wasn't nice, but who in the name of Akatosh undressed you?

You heard the door open and your head snapped up. Celena walked into the room, and with wide eyes, called for someone. You sat there with a confused expression, watching Celena as she came up and hugged you. Your altmer friend looked down at you with wide eyes, "You're okay... Thank Akatosh. You woke up not long after everyone found you, then you wouldn't wake up until now... It's been a week. Aela came up with Farkas and Vilkas, the Jarl wants to see you, soon, too."

"Why the Jarl?"

"He wants to know what happened, of course! Everyone does. According to a few people, there was the sound of metal clashing and then a loud howl a while after. Everyone thinks the Forsworn is in the city, using werewolves or something..."

You went silent. You could pass this off as another werewolf, saying that the woman with you accidentally shot you twice while trying to get the werewolf. Yes, that would pass off, and you could say it ran. A werewolf who was a Forsworn? A spy, perhaps? You grimaced and held onto Celena.

Soon enough, you heard footsteps and looked up, expecting to see Aela, Farkas, or Vilkas. The person standing there was actually Ondolemar, much to your surprise. He hesitantly stepped into the room, eyes focused on you and Celena.

"Are you feeling alright?" He questioned gently, to your surprise, once again.

"I'm feeling a lot better than I did before," you replied honestly, "what happened while I was out?"

"Everybody in the city was in a panic for a while, disgusting nords, half of them, but the guard and Jarl got them to calm down just recently. I could barely get anything done," Ondolemar scowled and crossed his arms.

You hummed in thought, looking to Celena, "Hey, uhhhh, Lena."

"You haven't called me by my nickname in a while. My dear forest child, have you been taking skooma?"

"That was Faendal, and I'm starting to think you were being racist. I look nothing like Faendal, thank you ve-"

"Whatever," Celena cut you off, "What do you want?"

"Food, and a bath," you sighed and leaned back, putting a hand to your forehead dramatically.

"I can get you food, but like, you can bathe yourself."

You wiggled your eyebrows suggestively to your friend, "What, am I not hot enough for you?"

"Sorry, I'm already in love," Celena flipped her hair, and you smirked.

"So, Vilkas is still here, right?"

"Yeah, why-? Oh, don't you dare."

You shot up out of bed and ran out, despite your weakened legs. You had to stop to find the brothers and Aela, then ran over and grabbed Vilkas by the shoulders, "VILKAS. Lena has a huge ROMANTIC crush on you and your brother and Aela need to stop acting like chickens and start courting for Akatosh's sake-"

This led to all three of them flushing with embarrassment, including Celena when she came over. You instantly left the scene, fearing your friend's wrath. You dove behind Ondolemar, seeing as he had just come out. The high elf seemed rather amused by the situation, turning and looking at you.

"I'd find it satisfactory that you prevented two, maybe three, people from killing me."

"Consider it done," the Thalmor rolled his eyes teasingly.

X-----X

Your meeting with the Jarl was postponed for a few days because of a problem with some bandits, so you had free time before them. Vilkas and Celena were currently courting, as well as Farkas and Aela. They'd chosen to spend time with their lovers for the day, leaving you with nothing to do.

Upon seeing Ondolemar, though, you instantly asked if you could walk with him. He'd accepted, probably because you were friends, maybe. You treasured the time you had with this man for now, seeing as he probably would never return any feelings to a  _Bosmer_ , of all people.

You were currently walking beside Ondolemar, making pleasant small talk. You weren't normally one interested in this kind of talk, but something about Ondolemar drew you to him. It was probably the red string that connected you both, but you'd never tire of it.

The city of Markarth was a boring town, filled with the same old people and stone buildings. But, compared to Understone Keep, it was a breath of fresh air. Understone Keep was dull and incredibly boring, just like the people in it, so being outside was a better idea.

You both wandered through the marketplace, eyes travelling over the merchants and people around them. You were wearing the necklace that Margret had given you, as thanks for saving her life. You remembered the thrill of killing the man, and it made you feel sick. The beast inside of you craved to rip everyone apart, tear them into nothing but bones and muscle.

You would have fed upon the corpses of the three people last night had you not been almost killed. You hated being moonborn, but it was an honor to be in the circle. Still, your life would be a lot easier without the unnecessary pain and destruction you left behind.

Your eyes clouded over at the thought of harming one of your friends, your family. You'd never want to do it on purpose, but controlling the beast was a hard task, and required time and skill. You could only hope to ever keep yourself from destroying anyone around you.

You felt sick, thinking of that night. You'd murdered people, though out of self defense, but you'd destroyed them. They probably had family, who cared for them even if they knew about the group they associated themselves with. They were dead and gone, and it was your fault.

You tried to keep the contents of your stomach inside of you, and along with the nausea came dizziness. You remembered every time you've transformed. It ended with carnage and you with the memory of what you did. There wasn't a way to justify the way you killed them, and you wouldn't try.

You nearly fell, but caught yourself by grabbing onto Ondolemar's arm. He seemed to notice something was wrong and glanced around, then grabbed your hand and gently led you away from the crowd. You almost fell a few times, trying to escape the nausea.

The Justiciar had waved off his soldiers when he began to lead you away, so it was just you two in a private section of Markarth. The high elf frowned, unsure of what was wrong with you and how to deal with it. You held tightly into the Thalmor's robes, feeling like he was the only thing keeping you up right now.

Ondolemar hesitantly put a hand to your back, confused and unsure. You sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm your swimming head and stomach. You put your forehead on his chest and continued to breathe deeply, in, out, in, out.

Once you managed to gain a sense of stability, you let go of Ondolemar and stepped back. He didn't say anything, but you could see the words forming in his head. Immediately, you waved your hand, "I don't want to talk about this. I might be sick, I think. That's it."

"I will escort you back to the inn, if you'd like?"

"That would be nice," you huffed out, holding onto him, "I'm... Really dizzy."

"You can't lean on me for stability." Without another word, he swept you up into his arms, "This is one time. Think nothing of it, I cannot have a trusted friend in more harm's way than she already has been."

"I attract danger."

"So it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok this was shorter but i have smut planned next chapter k  
> also slow burn????? haha what's that


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ondolemar?????? more like Daddy  
> also i never knew if he had hair or not bc of fanart so like??? guess u have hair in this fic ondolemar  
> also note: the whole fic in itself will not be all about action. there will be chapters purely dedicated to softer topics, fluff, smut, friendship, etc. so have fun with that part  
> also warning for some content that may be found triggering may be lightly touched upon in this fic like non-con. there will be no graphic depiction, just talk.

You currently lay on your bed in the inn, surrounded by furs. It was practically a nest of sorts. Ah, yes, another downside of being both a werewolf and Mer. Heats. It seems, because of being moonborn, your heat came way more often (as in, more than once or twice a year) and it hit hard, lasting for about a week or longer at most. Another thing with being moonborn: every other werewolf could smell it. It was also the same with elves, they could smell your heat because of your Bosmer origins.

Celena and the others made sure to give you space, convincing others to do the same. Celena had managed to convince the Jarl to delay the meeting for even longer, going as far as to tell him of your problem. Probably the only thing that would make the heat lessen was a partner, but you wouldn't dare ask any elf, along with the fact that even though it'd be mild, it's still there and would come back up each day. The other four were in relationships as well, not that you'd ever ask your brothers or sisters to help either.

Now, it seemed, you had to get out of bed. You'd snuck out of the inn to try and get some quiet, the inn was particularly busy today and you weren't in the mood for it. You rushed out of there as quickly as possible, the ache between your legs intensifying with every step. Somehow, you'd managed to walk into an open house (was it a house?). In actuality, it was a shrine... of Talos.

You glared at it and turned to leave, only to spot Ondolemar standing in your way. He seemed unphased, seeing you inside. You huffed softly, resisting from rubbing your legs together. The sight of Ondolemar sparked something within you, a raging flame that wouldn't go out.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I was trying to get some peace and quiet in here. Found out it was a shrine for Talos, and immediately went to leave."

"Peace and quiet, hm?" Ondolemar stepped in, eyes going from you to the shrine below.

You only nodded and followed him as he went towards the statue with a look of distaste. You only watched him carefully, impatiently rubbing your thighs together without a thought. One moment, the high elf was observing the shrine, the next, you were pinned to a wall with Ondolemar furvently kissing you.

You immediately responded to his kiss, to which he picked you up and wrapped your legs around his waist. He held you tightly, trapping you beneath the wall and him. He was the predator now, and you were the prey. The Thalmor gasped softly when he pulled away to breathe, his fingers digging into your thighs, "Now I know why you haven't been out."

Your face was red with embarrassment and possibly the lack of air, but right now you wanted- no, you  _needed_ him. He buried his face into your neck, breathing in the scent of your heat, "Tell me. What do you want?"

"You. I want you," you spoke almost breathlessly as he kissed your neck, you wanted him to ravage you.

He growled against your neck and your eyes fluttered closed, "What do you want from me?"

"I- nnh- I want you to fuck me," you struggled to get out your words as he bit on your neck, not hard enough to make you bleed, but it stung pleasantly.

Ondolemar held such power over you that it made you quiver with excitement. The way he held you, the way he kissed you. You sucked in a sharp breath as he started marking your neck, a sign he'd been there. A sign that you were his, and he had full power over you.

The Justiciar pulled away from your neck soon enough and admired his work. He appeared satisfied enough with it, so he pressed a chaste kiss to your lips. If you'd been told a few months ago you were going to be soulmates with a Thalmor Justiciar, and fucking him soon enough, you'd call them crazy.

But here you were. You whimpered uselessly and tried to get some friction from him, head tilted back and touching the wall. Ondolemar paused and put your back against the wall, using his teeth to discard his gloves. He would then, literally, rip your dress open, along with the corset. You couldn't bring yourself to care about it much now, you were more focused on  _him_.

He prodded at the waistband of your panties, then gently pulled them down to reveal a large wet spot. He let out a low rumble of laughter and let them drop to the floor, dragging his finger over your slit and gathering your slick, "So wet for me already?"

You could only gasp in reply, just feeling him touch you made you shiver. The Thalmor smirked and rubbed his thumb over your clit, and, seeming pleased with your reaction, slowly began to circle it with his thumb. In the meantime, he listened closely to your desperate moans, how much you wanted release.

Your legs shook , so he once more lifted them up and you immediately wrapped them around his waist, not trusting yourself enough to stay standing. The way he touched you sent sparks through your body, and your lips buzzed from the rough kisses. Ondolemar pulled his thumb away, listening to your protest at the loss of pleasure.

"Be patient. I'll take care of you soon enough," he growled against your neck.

The Justiciar didn't bother to get rid of most of his other clothing, merely the items covering the lower half of his body. His breathing was shaky, most likely a result of your current situation. You'd avoid areas you knew had a possibly high amount of elves, or any you came in close contact with often when it came to your rare heats. The first heat you'd had in Skyrim had hit during a visit to Riverwood.

You'd asked Celena to tell everyone you had to leave urgently, you'd also avoided Faendal like the plague. Heats in elves were rare, and the urges it gave other elves around them were incredibly strong and hard to avoid. You sucked in a deep breath and bit down on your lip, fingernails digging into his clothes shoulders.

Ondolemar made no movement, staring down at your quivering form. He had full power, he could do anything he wanted to you, and you couldn't do anything about it. His eyes traveled over your face and downwards, and finally he seemed to have his thoughts come into an end.

You looked up to him with impatience clear as day on your face. You wanted him and you wanted him  _now_. The high elf finally spoke up, grip on you tightening, "Is this your first time?"

"Yes- don't hesitate. Please," your words were breathy and your tone sharp, showing him he needed to do something soon.

Ondolemar only hummed in reply and brought you down on his cock, no longer hesitating. You instantly groaned and shut your eyes, tilting your head back. Ondolemar's own groan reached your ears as he brought you up once more, then slammed you back down.

You whimpered and tilted your head to the side, throat exposed. Ondolemar took advantage of this and leaned down, pressing gentle kisses to your neck as he thrust up into you. His hips smacked up against your own, and his kisses grew rough. The pleasure was overwhelming for you, having never done this before, and with your heat clouding your senses.

His thrusts grew sloppy and faster, jarring you each time with added pleasure. Perhaps there was some excitement from the fact that you were in a public area, despite the ban on Talos, some poor bloke might walk in anyways. Your moans were louder than your partner's, and gave you more of a danger of being heard. Though, you weren't sure if the doors would also block out the sound.

Ondolemar pulled away from your neck, panting heavily as you both tried to find release. You could feel your orgasm coming on and squirmed, hoping to do something, anything, that would bring you closer to release. You tilted your head back as far as you could, eyes rolling back as you made it to your orgasm. You were quivering, overstimulated as Ondolemar kept pounding into you.

Eventually, his thrusts slowed and he finally stilled, not looking the least bit concerned as he came inside of you. You let out a breath as he pulled out of you, then lifted you up and buried his face into your neck once more. You both took the time to catch your breath, the only sound being your panting.

It was silent for a good few moments, but a familiar burning sensation (though a lot more mild) stayed within you. The Justiciar holding onto you hummed in amusement, setting you down gently and pulled his clothes back on. You whined softly, back pressing against the cold stone wall. It was a relief for your warm body. Surprisingly, Ondolemar crouched beside you again, and you noticed he still lacked his gloves.

His hand rested on your thigh as he shifted to sit down beside you. You said nothing as his hand trailed towards your nether regions, breathing picking up from his touch. He didn't hesitate to slide a finger inside of your slit, noticing the way you sucked in a breath and tried to resist from crying out.

It didn't take long for him to slide in another finger, scissoring them inside of you. Your walls clenched around his fingers, having been overstimulated enough as it is. You knew you wouldn't last long like this, and so did he. He moved his fingers quickly inside of you and used his other hand to stimulate your clit, a smug smile placed on his face.

When you came on his fingers, he pulled them away and examined them with a smirk. He placed them gently to your licks, commanding you without words. You obediently took his fingers into your mouth, tasting yourself on them. You licked and sucked on his fingers, watching his face and taking in the partial silence inside of the room.

Once he seemed you done, he pulled his fingers away and brushed some of your hair out of your face. He stood up and looked to the rips on your dress with fake concern, then pulled you up to your feet gently. 


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a good week and a half since you were attacked, and now you were going to meet the Jarl. Your relationship with Ondolemar had changed quite a bit over the past week, but you were more focused on what to say to the Jarl at the moment. You were about to leave, and still, you had yet to piece together the story fully.

You just sighed and put a hand on your forehead. You weren't quite ready to leave, but Celena wasn't all too patient right now. You adjusted your chest plate with an uncomfortable expression, and once finished, stepped out of your room. Over the time you've spent in the inn, you've deemed it terrible. It's not like the inns in every other major city was any better, but this one had obnoxious drunks, the bard sounded like a hag, and the innkeeper and his wife were possibly the most annoying couple you'd ever met.

The only person more annoying than the innkeeper's wife (you didn't bother to learn their names, you could care less) was probably the woman who cares for the orphans in Solitude. Oh, how you despised her. Too bad you weren't thane there, maybe you could kill get and get away with it.

Celena sighed and looked to you with annoyance, "Finally. You take forever to get ready, let's go."

You could only bring yourself to roll your eyes playfully. Was it a thing for all Altmer to be impatient? You snorted at the thought and glanced to your companion. She gave you an exasperated look, as if she knew what you were thinking.

You passed by a few people who eyed you with hesitance. You were still technically outsiders to them, not trusted by very many and seen as a potential threat. You understood this, having heard talk of the Forsworn who were ever so present in Markarth. Still, despite this, it bothered you somewhat with all the stares.

It wasn't too long before you reached Understone Keep, face set into a grimace. The moment you stepped in you felt the humidity practically slap you in the face, compared to the colder wind from outsider. You cringed and looked to Celena, who had no problem with it.

You stared at her in disbelief as you made your way to the Jarl. How did anyone get used to this? You felt practically suffocated from the air, but you said nothing. The Jarl leaned back, his housecarl watching you with suspicion clear as day in her eyes.

You have her a sharp look, not liking the way she eyed you. The Jarl spoke up, though, grabbing your attention, "So, what happened the night you were attacked?"

You sighed, "These three people, they were hired thugs or something..."

You paused for a moment, "I don't know what happened, but next thing I know the two men were being ripped apart by a large beast, and while I was trying to get away the woman shot two arrows into my back. I don't know where the beast went, but when I managed to look back I saw the woman dead as well. I'm not sure if it thought I was already dead, but it ran off. That's it."

The Jarl nodded, "Yes. A little girl said she came out of her house after hearing a howl that many also heard. She saw you, according to her, and screamed for her parents and the guards?"

"I wouldn't know, I had fainted not long after."

"You're lucky to have survived," the housecarl spoke up, "Had it not been for the.. Thalmor.." she glanced behind you with clear disdain, "you'd be dead."

"I don't think a beast could have easily gotten into Markarth, provided it's defenses," a smooth voice sounded behind you, and Ondolemar walked over from behind you.

You said nothing, a frown set on your face. The Jarl frowned as well and seemed to be in deep thought, but his steward looked to the high elf with surprise, "Is it possible there's a werewolf within Markarth? Perhaps one of the prisoners...?"

"It is a possibility. We should be weary and keep this in mind, but I think the information provided is enough," The Jarl waved his hand dismissively to you and Celena. You snorted and exchanged a glance with your friend, then turned and made your way out.

You both walked slowly this time, as you were not at all keen to run or even speed walk. You glanced to the sky, seeing it was grey and dull. You frowned and sped up, but only due to the potential of Skyrim's freezing rain. When you were near the marketplace, you paused and looked around. Despite the murmur of people mulling about everything seemed too calm and still. You took no hesitance and sliding your sword out of it's sheathe, "Celena."

Celena stopped, having been walking ahead of you. She glanced back to you in confusion, then followed your gaze to the sky. It took a moment for realization to dawn on her and she stepped back, pulling out her sword as well. You could hear the faint sound of wings against the horizon, and it instilled a sense of fear inside of you. Despite being Dragonborn, you were still scared. Who wouldn't be when fighting a giant lizard with wings?

A few people stopped and looked to you, then the sky, then shrugged and went on their way, dismissing your actions. You glanced to Celena, "Yell for the guards."

The Altmer nodded and ran over to a guard watching the marketplace, "I need you to round up the guards on the area,  _now_?"

"What for, lady?" He scoffed dismissively.

You answered for her from where you were, "Dragon!"

A large dragon the color of bronze appeared overhead, flying in a circle over the city. The townspeople looked up and some scurried to get somewhere safe, others pulling out their weapons. Foolish, you thought. You whipped the bow off your back and aimed, waiting for it to become hostile. On rare occasions a dragon had flew overhead and spared you a glance (one had even spoke curiously to you) and would fly off.

The dragon tilted it's head down for a moment, then dove and landed on a building, mouth opening wide in a roar. It's eyes narrowed and focused in on you, a blast of fire sent your way. You were quick on your feet and mad it out of the way just in time, but you stared defiantly at the dragon, who seemed to come to a realization.

" _Ful mu grind ahst laat, Dovahkiin._ "

Your grip on your bow tightened as the dragon spoke loudly to you, eyes narrowed into slits, " _Hin sil dii_."

The dragon let out another ear splitting roar and rose to the skies as you nocked an arrow, aiming at the flying creature. Guards let loose arrows at the dragon, a few hitting it. The dragon roared angrily, "Yol _toor shul_!"

Fire streamed out at a few guards who were grouped together, setting them alight. Their screams of agony fell on deaf ears as you shot an arrow at the dragon, mercilessly embedding it into it's jaw. The dragon forced itself to land and snapped at a guard with a sword, swallowing him whole.

There were screams of fear as more guards arrived, and you ran up to the dragon with your bow now on your back, sinking the blade into it's side. Fire spells wouldn't do much against a dragon, but you've been to your fair share of word walls and have killed enough dragons in the wild to know what you were doing.

" _Fo krah diin_!" A spray of frost unleashed itself upon the dragon, and it retaliated with turning slightly and kicked you with it's back leg, the claws ripping through the armor on your arms and leaving a nasty cut.

There was a crackle of shock magic, and you heard the dragon snarl angrily and take flight once more. You raised yourself from the ground, putting a hand to the bloody wound and looking over to see who cast the spell. You spotted a Thalmor soldier, one that followed Ondolemar. You nodded in thanks to him, then turned to look in the air.

You switched to your bow, ignoring the pain igniting in your arm. Without hesitation, you shot at the dragon's wings, figuring you could bring it to the ground. A few guards seemed to pick up on this and also aimed for the wings, who let out a pained roar when they hit. The dragon helplessly flew overhead, frost raining down on the people attacking it.

You glared heatedly at the dragon and put your bow back on your back, taking a moment to rest your shoulder. A good minute passed of the dragon terrorizing the people of Markarth, before it was forced to land. You unsheathed your sword and rushed forward, stroking it's face with your blade. It seemed helpless as you leaped on top of it, bringing the sword down over and over again onto it's face, the blood spattering on your blade and armor.

The dragon raised it's head a threw you off, " _Dovahkiin!_ "

You sat up and sucked in a deep breath, blood roaring in your ears as it's head collapsed onto their ground. Your shoulder stung terribly and you had various cuts and bruises along your body. Celena ran over and offered her hand, and once you took it, pulled you up. The civilians and guards ran over, but stopped a short distance as the dragon's scales began to burn away into the air.

You put a hand to your shoulder, feeling yourself absorb another dragon soul. You hummed happily, relishing the familiar warmth before it faded away, leaving you cold and hurt once more. You glanced to the people as they slowly approached the skeleton left behind, eyes darting between you and it.

Finally, you noticed the blood soaking into your fur glove and groaned, pulling it away, "Ah, my shoulder.."

The two Thalmor soldiers approached you suddenly, Ondolemar just a bit in front of them. He raised an eyebrow and looked to your shoulder, "Now look what you've gone and done."

"I just attract pain."

"Dragons, too," Celena huffed, "Remember that time we went to Riften? Yeah, remember that Frost Dragon?"

You snorted, remembering the time Celena was blasted by the frost breath shout. It hadn't been funny at the time, but she'd ended up getting sick afterwards. Ondolemar raised an eyebrow and hummed, "I take it this isn't the first time you've fought a dragon?"

"More like the... Twentieth. I lost track after a while. But, ah, damn, that was a bit harder than usual. Never encountered this kind of dragon... The worst was that Blood Dragon, I think."

"Well. It's dead now, so, I'm good," Celena yawned.

You shot her a scathing look, "I'm not."

Celena paused and looked you over, then stopped at your shoulder, "That dragon got you good."

Ondolemar furrowed his brows and looked at your shoulder, which had three long, diagonal gashes stretched across your flesh. Blood was clotted messily in and outside of it, making it a rather nasty sight. You grinned obnoxiously and cast a restoration spell, though you had to keep it going for a long few seconds before the wound closed up.

Celena rolled her eyes, "We need to do something about you getting hurt so much."

"I'm supposed to be getting hurt all the time. Y'know, like, since that thing at Helgen happened, it's been my duty to get hurt."

Celena snorted and punched your arm lightly, "That thing on Helgen only gave you the duty to go to Riverwood- actually, now that I think about it it sort of did-"

"Aw, Celena, we haven't been to Riverwood in forever. We should visit Hadvar."

"You sure he hasn't already gone off to Solitude?"

"Positive, he said he wouldn't leave Riverwood for a while when we last went," just then you noticed Ondolemar just standing there a bit awkwardly.

Celena also seemed to notice, as she smiled gently at you, "I'm going to go to the Inn for some more rest. A dragon really takes it out of ya."

You nodded and waved as she left. Ondolemar grabbed your shoulders and spun you around to face him, eyes narrowed in thought. Your eyes met his with confusion in them, but you both said nothing for a good moment. Ondolemar narrowed his eyes and took his hands off of your shoulders.

You hummed curiously, "Ondolemar, I have a question."

"Speak up, then."

"What.. are we? I mean, uh, last week and everything. I don't expect you.." you paused and lowered your voice for him, "to feel anything for me, but.."

"We're only friends, then."

You nodded slowly, resisting from letting your eyes travel to his pinkie. Lately, you'd been staring at the red strong that connected you to him. You couldn't help it, knowing he was your soulmate while he was oblivious to it all. If he ever found out, he'd likely reject it, wishing that his soulmate was an altmer instead, not some low wood elf.

You tried to ignore the intrusive thoughts the best you could, but it was hard. Ondolemar gave you a concerned look, but you waved him off, "I have to go. I think Celena is getting bored of Markarth, so I think we'll be heading off to Whiterun, or maybe Riverwood."

Ondolemar raised an eyebrow once more, "I see... Make sure to come back and visit."

"I will, I promise," you tilted your head his way, then turned and walked off after saying a goodbye.

When you got into the inn, you went straight to Celena's room, "Hey, Celena, get up. I know that literal stone bed isn't doing you any good."

"Ugh. You're right, but what is it?" Celena sat up and looked to you curiously.

"We're leaving. I know we planned to stay longer, but it's sort of painful to know that your soulmate is near you every day and will never like you back."

"...I'm sorry. We can go if that really makes you feel better," Celena smiled solemnly and put a hand on your shoulder.

"Let's just get everything and head out," you replied with a distant look in your eye.

You went onto your room and quickly grabbed everything that was yours, then headed out to wait. Celena came back soon enough, and you both left the inn. You were rather despondent, having let your negative thoughts get in the way of your happiness.

Celena smiled reassuringly to you, thought it was in vain. You straightened up, "I was thinking of finally going to High Hrothgar, actually. Seven thousand steps.. yay... It's a bit far, but we can get to Ivarstead soon enough."

"If you say so," Celena yawned, "We'll go back to Whiterun afterwards, right?"

"I'll take you back, I'll probably be sent on another damn job all things considered."

"Probably," Celena laughed as you stepped out and headed to the stables.

There, your horses waited for you, as well as.. Ondolemar. You raised and eyebrow and frowned at the Thalmor, wondering why in all of Oblivion he was there. The Justiciar strode up to you and leaned down to your height, taking your face in his hands and pressing a light kiss to your lips.

No one else was there with you three, not even Ondolemar's soldiers. Celena sighed in annoyance, "Get a room."

Ondolemar pulled away and shoot a scathing look to Celena, then turned to you, "I'll see you soon."

He left you there, stunned and with a red face. Damn, what was that man doing to you? Celena snorted and punched your shoulder, "Come on, fool. Let's get going."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YU KNOW HOW FUCKING LONG THIS FUCKING TOOK FUCK ME  
> proofreading? NEVER, I GO DOWN A WARRIOR.

You had ended up heading to Solitude to report to Tullius and become a soldier. The civil war was annoying enough as it is and kept you from doing a lot of things you wanted to in Skyrim. You probably wouldn't make a difference in the war, but you would try to end it. Despite the fact that you'd almost died to Imperials a handful of times, you wanted to join them. Ulfric was a stubborn Nord, and not one you enjoyed the company of.

You'd been in Windhelm on a job when you met the self-proclaimed High King of Skyrim, who had been piss drunk. He had spotted you while stumbling around Windhelm with some guards while you had been getting your payment from Torbjorn, who had asked you to take care of a wolf pack that had been close to the city.

He'd called out to you, and called you a dirty elf right to your face. It was expected that you were offended as all hell, but when he went on about how he would drive all non-nords out of Skyrim when he was High King, you decided you hated Stormcloaks. They were close-minded and terrible in your own opinion - he'd murdered a High King for absolutely no reason but a false God.

You had left Windhelm immediately after receiving payment, fuming at the mere implication that you weren't worthy enough to be in Skyrim because you were Mer. This had only been a factor for you to want to join the Legion; you could also gain glory, prove that Bosmer were fit warriors, not just archers. You wouldn't lie, yes, many Mer were terrible beings with only selfishness and a desire to see pain fueling them, but there were many others with kindness in their hearts. It was hard to find, many shielded themselves with rudeness to hide from the bad Mer, the ones who would take advantage of them.

You offered kindness to anyone you could, even the worst of people. You'd brought bandits to their knees and knocked them unconscious, only to heal them and leave them somewhere safe if the beast was not lusting for blood. Rarely did you take their lives when you had control of your own body and soul, like with assassins, because you knew they wouldn't give up with killing you. It was rare someone sent an assassin to kill you, but it had happened a handful of times.

You were brought out of your thoughts by Celena, who was only coming with you. She had told you she didn't want anything to do with the damn war, and would be heading home after, or if, you got accepted. You both approached the large gates to Solitude, when a guard chuckled and crossed his arms while turning to look at you, "You're just in time to say hello to Roggvir."

"Who's Roggvir?" You inquired curiously with your eyebrows raised.

"Ah, the poor bastard that allowed Ulfric Stormcloak to escape after murdering Torygg. He's about to be executed."

You grimaced and only nodded, pushing open the gates and heading inside. You saw a small crowd of people gathered around a platform, where a block, basket, and executioner stood. Celena looked like she wanted to run away, but you headed over with curious eyes. Stormcloaks, you decided, deserved to be taught a lesson. All this, for Talos? You thought it to be ridiculous, but they would get what they deserved.

"They can't hurt uncle Roggvir. Tell them he didn't do it." A little girl spoke from the back of the crowd.

"Positions."

"Svari, you need to go home. Go home and stay there until your mother comes," a man chided the girl, causing you to look back.

"Lock the city gate."

"You should tell her that her uncle is scum that betrayed his High King. Best she know now, Addvar." A woman spoke up to the two.

"You're all heart, Vivienne."

"Roggvir. You helped Ulfric Stormcloak escape this city after he murdered High King Torygg. By opening that gate for Ulfric you betrayed the people of Solitude," a man spoke from the platform.

It seems you had been distracted by the conversation going on behind you, as you'd barely noticed a few soldiers go up with a man bound by the wrists. There were a few Thalmor soldiers and a justiciar, you noticed, turning your attention to them. The justiciar was a female, and rather pretty, you thought. You turned your attention back to the execution, noticing the justiciar spot you watching her.

"Traitor!"

"He doesn't deserve to speak!" Someone shouted, venom dripping from their voice.

"There was no murder! Ulfric challenged Torygg. He beat the High King in fair combat." Roggvir cried, looking fearful.

"Liar!"

"Such as our way! Such as the ancient custom of Skyrim, and all Nords!" The prisoner spoke again, and you could spot the tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

"Booooo!"

"Cut 'em down!" A woman spat.

"Booooo!"

"Guard. Prepare the prisoner."

A guard went behind Roggvir to force his head down against the block, a scowl on his face. It was clear there was no tolerance for what this man had done, and so be it. He should have known the consequences of what he'd done before he did it, now look where it got him.

"I don't need your help." Roggvir spat and began to get down by himself.

"Very well, Roggvir. Bow your head."

"On this day... I go to Sovngarde," Roggvir said ruefully as his neck pressed to the block; he knew he was going to die, and he accepted it.

There was no hesitance as his head was cut clean off. Celena flinched, but you stared blankly at what was once a living man of flesh and blood. Gone, to Sovngarde he had proclaimed. The crowd began to disperse, murmurs running throughout. You stood still, though, even as his body was hauled out and the guards left the area. Even when Celena shook your shoulders, spoke words that fell upon deaf ears, you did not move.

You were snapped out of your daze only when the scent of death permeated the air around you, and you felt like you were choking. Fresh air felt scarce, and you finally turned your gaze to Celena who spoke worriedly to you. You said nothing, only turning and walking away with a weak grip on Celena. You had come here to join the Legion, and you intended to do so.

As it turns out, when you had asked to join the Legion, you were classified as 'different' automatically. Now, you had to clear out a fort full of  _bandits_ just to get in. The instant you stepped out of Castle Dour, you groaned and grabbed Celena's wrist, "To join, apparently I have to clear out a whole fort of bandits. Sounds fun, right? Let's go."

"Really? That's.. sort of dumb."

"They need somewhere to garrison, we'll give it to them," you stated boldly, determination burning in your eyes.

You didn't hesitate to head back over to the main gate, a hand on the handle of your sword. Celena looked partially annoyed, probably because you both had to go back into battle so soon. You were sure you could take it, though. You didn't want to kill so many people, but you knew they would refuse to leave and the beast inside of you was screaming for you to kill something, anything.

X-----X

It had taken a while, but finally all the bandits were dead. You and Celena were covered in cuts, bruises, and blood. You were pretty sure most of the blood wasn't even your own, you had practically slaughtered them like animals. The soldiers could deal with the bodies, you decided. You were only nice enough to take the ones inside out and put them side by side, they weren't your problem.

By the time you had come back to Solitude, it was early in the morning, around three in the morning, you guessed. With a sigh, you rented two rooms for you and Celena. By the time you lay on your bed, you were out like a light.

When you woke up, the first thought that came to mind was that it was much better of a bed here than in Markarth. Not that you didn't like it there, but god damn their beds were made of stone and uncomfortable as hell. The beds here  _weren't_ made of stone, thank Akatosh, and a lot more comfortable.

You left the inn without Celena after getting ready, not wanting to listen to any snide remarks from her, as she wasn't an early riser. Not that it was very early, but waking up past ten in the morning was a big no-no from her. You left your sword and satchel back at the inn, not bothered enough to carry the heavy things all the way to Castle Dour and back.

You pushed open the heavy door with a dead look on your face, spotting Legate Rikke hunched over a map with Tullius beside her. Hopefully they would just  _not_ send you to take out more bandits, you might just curl up in a ball in the corner and die. Thankfully, you weren't sent out for more messy slaughter, instead you had been told to take an oath (which you did), and sent to get imperial armor.

You looked to your own armor, and decided that you were fine without the imperial armor. You'd keep it as a spare, though, in case it was ruined in a fight. You had been wearing some good armor, but the dragon in Markarth tore through it and you'd been forced to go with some weak leather armor that did more bad than good in battle. Of course, you'd gotten steel armor to replace the useless leather (which was what you were wearing now, you'd sold the leather armor for a small amount of coin), and you were satisfied with it for now. Hey, maybe the steel would also get ruined by a dragon in Markarth. It might end up a painful cycle.

You pushed your thoughts away, instead turning to Rikke as she spoke to you, "Welcome to the Legion, auxiliary. Listen up. Ulfric's right-hand man, Galmar Stonefist, has located what he believes is the final resting place of the Jagged Crown. We're going to make sure he doesn't get his hands on it. The rest of my men are already assembling outside Korvanjund. I'll meet you there as soon as I finish up here."

You blinked for a few moments, processing this, then nodded, "So... What's the Jagged Crown?"

Truthfully, you hadn't an idea of what this crown was or what importance it held. Much like Tullius, you already thought of it as a simple fairy tale. Rikke gave you a look, but continued, "A legendary crown, dating back to King Harald's time, or before. A powerful relic of a golden age, long since passed. Legend has it that the crown is made from the bones and teeth of ancient dragons, and is said to increase the power of the wearer. Whatever the truth, if Ulfric gets his hands on it, it would be a powerful symbol around which to rally support for his cause."

"Do you know exactly where it is, though?"

"Well, to be frank, we don't. Its location was lost with King Borgas, when the Great Hunt killed him while off on his Alessian campaigns. Supposedly, his body was brought back to Skyrim and secretly buried with the crown. Knowledge of that location was lost, in the Wars of Succession. But my agents report that Galmar is pretty damned convinced Korvanjund is the tomb of King Borgas. I know Galmar. We fought in many wars together. He's not a sentimental man taken to fancy. If he believes the crown is there... he's likely found it."

"Very well. I'll meet you there, Legate," you saluted, then turned and left the area.

You returned to the in, finding Celena sipping from a cup of wine. Celena upon spotting you, smiled, "Got a mission?"

"I'm going to go and get a crown for Tullius, so, like you said, you're free to go. I'm on official Imperial business, now."

"Alright. This is my cue to pack up and go, so when you're free or need me for something that's not Imperial business, I'll be at Jorrvaskr."

You waved to Celena as she left to her room, and headed to your own. With your sword at your hip and satchel slung over your shoulder, you headed out. You had already said your goodbyes with Celena and weren't needed for anything, so there was no need to stay in Solitude any longer.

You have the city one last glance, eyes lingering on the platform where you saw Roggvir executed. Then, you turned and pushed open the gates.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i need to write this more often send help

Korvanjund, surprisingly, wasn't all that hard to get to. The most you'd dealt with was a wolf pack, and you'd only had to reach down with your sword and slash from your horse. You had actually seen a Thalmor Justiciar and some soldiers walking along the path with a prisoner, and you greeted them in a friendly manner, "Good evening."

The Justiciar seemed slightly surprised, but that was quickly wiped off his expression, "...Yes, good evening."

You smiled awkwardly, "Good job, there. Keep up the work."

You motioned to the prisoner, who glared daggers at you. The Justiciar merely nodded and you rode away from them, focused once more on getting to Korvanjund. When you came near it, you unsaddled your horse and left them there, knowing they wouldn't go far. Affectionately, you pat their neck, and headed over to the group of soldiers and Rikke.

There, you spotted Hadvar, the man from Riverwood who you'd saved the life of in Helgen. He greeted you with a warm smile and friendly wave as you approached, "Good to see you, my friend! I knew you'd make a proper Legionnaire. I'm glad you'll be with me in there. I don't like the looks of this place... and I'm not talking about the Stormcloaks."

"Hm? What do you mean?" You questioned curiously.

"These old ruins... They don't want us here, the ancient ones. Better left alone. But never mind all that. We're the Emperor's soldiers. We'll do our duty no matter what stands in our way, right?" Hadvar nodded to himself in affirmation to his own question.

You raised an eyebrow, but said nothing after and turned to look at Rikke. You unsheathed your sword as quietly as you could and held it defensively, ready to go into battle.

"Looks like the damned rebels got here first. No matter, we have the element of surprise. Prepare to move out. You ready, auxiliary?" Rikke cast you a glance.

You furrowed your brows with confusion, "I'm ready, ma'am."

"Listen up, legionnaires. Those Stormcloaks are here for the same reason we are. Ulfric the Pretender wants that crown, but we're not going to let him have it. I realize some of you may know men on the other side. But remember this. They are the enemy now and will not hesitate to end your lives either. General Tullius is counting on us to bring back the Jagged Crown, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Let's show these rebels what real soldiers look like." Rikke turned to the other men, rallying them successfully.

She then turned around to face the ruins, "Now... Follow me!"

The other soldiers unsheathed their weapons and charged into battle with Rikke, and you stayed with them. You spotted an archer not too far away and charged up a summon familiar spell, then directed it to the archer. You watched the wolf with satisfaction as it slammed into the archer, knocked him down, and tore at his throat.

You turned away to face an approaching soldier and swing your sword forcefully towards his neck, and the sound of flesh tearing echoed along with the cries of pain and agony, the clashing of metal, and the bouncing of steel armor. Blood sprayed from the man, red droplets coating your sword and a few drops landing on your face. Still, he was not dead. You gripped his shoulder and brought him down, plunging the sword into his stomach and watching him drop to the floor, blood pooling around him.

You payed no attention to this and moved on, using a healing spell on a few soldiers you passed who had some nasty wounds. They looked apprehensive, but let you heal them as they saw it wasn't hurting them too badly. You turned and looked to Rikke as she and a few other men finished off the last of the Stormcloaks outside the ruins.

"Well done. They never knew what hit them. But don't underestimate the Stormcloaks. Many are Legion veterans. They may be traitors, but they know how to fight. We had the advantage of surprise this time, but don't expect it to last. Let's move out," Rikke ordered, and the soldiers who had survived the small battle followed after you.

You pushed the doors to Korvanjund wide open and went in after Hadvar, eyes narrowed with distaste at the musty smell. It was bad, at least, to you. The others seemed unbothered by the smell, moreso by the ruins themselves.

"Everybody ready? We charge on my signal. Time to show what you're really made of. For the Empire!" With that, Rikke and everyone else charged forward.

The few Stormcloaks around were quickly defeated, though one man was killed. You crouched beside his body and closed his eyes, glazed over but stuck in a fierce glare. Afterwards, you stood and turned back towards Rikke, not yet sheathing your sword.

"You two, stay and guard the entrance. We don't want any Stormcloak reinforcements taking us by surprise. Everyone else, with me." Rikke pointed to two soldiers, then turned and motioned for everyone else to follow.

You followed after the woman warily, your eyes traveling over the eroded stone walls and empty burial urns that seemed to line the walls. It made sense that the Nords of the group were the most apprehensive of being here. After all, they buried the ancient dead here and it was sacred, not somewhere you would usually go to. When you entered a new room, Rikke spoke.

"I don't like the look of this. Perfect spot for an ambush. Ten to one they're just waiting for us on the other side."

"But there isn't any other way through, Legate."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, soldier. The Legion always finds a way. I'd rather take a moment and look around than walk blindly into an ambush. Auxiliary, see if you can find another way through. We'll charge in to help as soon as we hear fighting," Rikke motioned to you, making you smile nervously.

You walked away from the group, ignoring the sympathetic glance Hadvar gave you. Why was she relying on you so much? Why did you even have to do a special task to join the Imperial Legion, for Akatosh's sake? You sighed, annoyance evidence in your gaze as you readied a fire spell just in case of draugr. You wouldn't doubt there were some in a place the dead were buried long ago, and you knew well that they were weak to fire.

X-----X

It wasn't long before you made it to a large room, spotting a draugr sitting upon a dark throne. Behind it was a wall that you recognized was inscribed with letters of the dragon language. Rikke eyed the room warily, "The crown should be around here somewhere. Spread out, and keep your eyes open."

"Hadvar... get away from there! Well, King... If you don't mind, we'll just take that crown of yours and be on our way."

You turned to see Hadvar approach the draugr in the throne and sighed loudly. It was starting to wake up, you could tell.

"Have it your way. Let's get that crown men!" Rikke spat and unsheathed her sword as the draugr stood and unsheathed his own, awakening other draugr around him.

You turned towards the draugr with the crown, not hesitating to send a column of flames its way. The draugr snarled, and you ignored the clash of metal as the other soldiers attacked the weaker draugr. You narrowed your eyes in challenge, keeping the fire up as it approached. You knew it wasn't weak for a draugr, but the undead were easy to kill because of the weak tissue left behind.

You lunged towards the undead creature, putting the flames to an end and swinging your sword towards it's arm. Your swords clashed, a loud ring echoing, but you quickly drew back and sent more flames it's way. The draugr snarled in anger and charged you, slamming it's body into yours and throwing you back.

You were stunned for a moment as the draugr swung it's sword, successfully cutting through some of the flesh of your leg. You yelped in pain and kicked the draugr away with your good leg and then swung your own sword as it advanced again, cutting clean through it's side.

You ignored the warm liquid running down your leg, the pain so great that you couldn't feel it there. You knew it was there only from the blood, but you paid it no mind for now as you fought. Rikke had rushed in to help you, her own sword swinging down and hitting the draugr's helmet harshly, stunning it.

You took your advantage and grabbed it's shoulder, instead taking out your dagger and sinking it in under it's jaw. The draugr let out one last snarl, then collapsed to the floor, dead. You huffed and sheathed your sword, seeing the other threats now gone. You could feel a dull throb from your leg, then it felt like it was burning. You whimpered and leaned against the throne, using your own restoration magic to heal the wound. It wasn't enough to completely heal it, you'd used much of your magicka to weaken the draugr.

You sighed and opened your satchel, popping open a red potion and tilting your head back to drink it all. The potion left a bitter taste in your mouth, one reason you preferred your own restoration magic over the potions. You grimaced and stood, patting your leg to find merely a scar left with dried blood.

"Alright, get the crown off that draugr! Take that crown back to Solitude, soldier. We'll stay here and see if we can find anything else that could be of use."

You sighed and nodded, bending down and taking the crown off the draugr. You turned to the word wall, something you were very familiar with. You felt eyes on you as you went over and studied a word that glowed for you, you could feel the knowledge and power it gave off tying itself to you. You furrowed your brows, a word echoing in your head, 'tiid.'

You smiled faintly and saluted Rikke, then made your way out of Korvanjund. You had completed your first serious mission as a soldier for the Imperials, and you were proud. Soon enough, you would be in Solitude. Perhaps you could make a large difference in this war? You doubted it, and chose to brush off the thought as you mounted your horse and rode towards Solitude.

X-----X

When you arrived at Solitude, it was early morning. You left your horse at the stables and went towards Castle Dour, unsure if General Tullius was even awake still. With that, you quickened your pace and soon reached the castle. The soldiers stationed outside looked tired as ever, and you greeted them with a friendly smile.

You pushed open the door and slipped in, looking around for Tullius. You spotted him hunched over the table with that damn map and went over, crown in hand, "Here's the Jagged Crown. Legate Rikke sent me to deliver it to you. 

"Excellent work, soldier. I have to admit, I had my doubts it even existed. Did you run into any any trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle." You responded blankly.

"That's what I like to hear. I'll get the full report from Legate Rikke." Tullius waved his hand.

"Anything else you need, sir?"

General Tullius sighed in distress and put a hand to his head, "Now then... I need someone I can trust to deliver a message of great import to Jarl Baalgruf of Whiterun. We have it on good authority that Ulfric has raised enough men to attack the city of Whiterun. The Jarl, however, refuses the Legion's support. This missive should convince him. Be aware soldier, these documents contain sensitive intelligence for the Jarl's eyes only."

You looked at Tullius with concern, "Right away, sir. Whiterun is my home... I'll be off."

Quickly, you turned and marched to the door. You refused to think the Stormcloaks, with their dull leather armor and rough appearance, could defeat Whiterun. You would defend the Hold with your life. Jorrvaskr was inside of Whiterun, and with it, the Companions. You felt an obligation to protect them as Harbinger. Of course, it wasn't just your title, the Companions were your brothers and sisters, you'd never let anything happen to them that you could prevent.

Surprisingly, though, the door opened just before you could get out, causing you to run smack dab into a very familiar man. Ondolemar. You looked up and quickly stepped back, holding back the snide remark you had just been about to hurl at whoever ran into you. It seemed the high elf had just done the same as he leered down at you.

"What are you doing here in the Empire's headquarters?" He questioned smoothly, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm a Legion soldier now, Ondolemar," you smiled faintly and clasped your hands together.

"Soldier? So that's what you've been doing since you left Markarth," Ondolemar held a stony gaze, looking unimpressed.

Tullius quickly came up to you both, "Ah- I didn't think you'd be here so early, Ondolemar."

"I may have came earlier than my letter told, I suppose. But you still have time to speak, do you not?" Ondolemar drawled.

You could see the tension between the two, it was clear Tullius was not fond of the Thalmor. You gently pat Ondolemar, "Hey, if you're still here when I get back, we can have a chat."

"I suppose we could," he glanced to you, then Tullius.

You slid out of the room, snickering when you saw the Thalmor soldiers stationed outside of the castle. You gave them a friendly wave, "Hello! How have you two been?"

"Just fine," they both answered simultaneously.

You laughed nervously, and walked off quickly. Yeah, today quickly turned very, very awkward.


End file.
